Credit: Danny ClinchFounding Allman Brothers Band singer/guitarist Dickey Betts had an acrimonious split with the group in 2000, but with the band calling it quits last year, frontman Gregg Allman now says he'd like to mend fences with his old collaborator.

"Time heals," Allman tells The Wall Street Journal. "I haven't seen him in a very long time and would be very open to it. In fact, I would love to play with him again."

Gregg, who has been focusing on his solo band since The Allman Brothers played their farewell shows in October 2014, clarifies that he isn't interested in a full-fledged reunion with Betts, but he would like to jam with him again.

"I love my band and I'm pretty set for guitar players, but I'd love to see Betts," he explains. "We had our ups and down and all our demons. We had our problems, our ins and outs and our public embarrassments on both sides. But that's all way behind us now. There's nothing at all wrong with forgive and forget."

Allman has a bunch of upcoming U.S. tour dates lined up with his Gregg Allman Band, including a series of joint shows with The Doobie Brothers. He tells The Wall Street Journal that his backing group actually is more focused on playing music than The Allman Brothers Band was.

"The Allman Brothers never had a leader or focal point after my brother died. One who says, 'Guys, get on your instruments, we're rehearsing now," he maintains. "I won't do anything for more than five hours anymore because I get tired and don't trust my brain, but in that time my [solo] band can learn eight songs. With the Brothers, we'd sit around, shoot the s***, eat a little food, smoke a doobie, talk about our families...I want to play when we get together!"

Next Friday, August 7, Gregg will release a new two-CD/DVD set called Gregg Allman Live: Back to Macon, GA documenting a concert he and his band played in January 2014 of last year at the historic Grand Opera House in Macon, Georgia. Among the tunes Allman performed at the show were Allman Brothers classics like "Statesboro Blues," "Melissa," "Midnight Rider," "Whipping Post" and "One Way Out," as well as his solo hit "I'm No Angel."

Allman also is looking ahead to his next solo album, which he says he's planning to record with his band and producer Don Was this winter in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He tells The Wall Street Journal that he and the group currently are "sussing out tunes" for the project.

Here are all of Allman's upcoming 2015 U.S. tour dates, according to Pollstar:

C Flanigan/FilmMagicAlternative rockers, hip hop, and emo performers bowed down to Sir Paul McCartney on night one of Lollapalooza.

A sea of tens of thousands of fans spread across Grant Park in front of the stage as McCartney played a more than two-hour-long set, pounding out more than 30 songs on both guitar and piano. The songs spanned the 73-year-old's entire career from the Beatles, to Wings, to a performance of his latest hit, the Rihanna/Kanye West collaboration "Four Five Seconds".

He briefly paused between songs to tell stories of Jimi Hendrix and playing in Soviet Russia, and dedicatated his performance of "Here Today" to former band mate John Lennon. He brought out Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard to help him perform "Get Back". Alabama Shakes had performed earlier in the day. Fireworks and flames lit the stage during McCartney's performance of "Live and Let Die," and fireworks also burst from the stage and into the full-mooned sky as he closed out the show promptly at 10 p.m. CT.

The Friday headliner brought out not just the young music fans this year, but old as well. Lollapalooza founder and Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell said it was all McCartney's idea to perform. "You don't get Paul McCartney to do anything he doesn't want to do. This was his wish."

Farrell said McCartney's performance during the three day concert series along the lakefront just diversifies the crowd even more. It's a trend he's been noticing over the last few years even before McCartney was announced.

"We were able to accomplish something that is extremely rare, and that is we were able to span the generations, and bring everyone else together collectively. Where else do you do that?" he noted. "You can be standing by an 18-year-old. You can be standing by a nine-year-old. You can be standing near a 40-year-old. It's really special."

Hundreds of thousands of fans are expected for the sold out weekend showcase in Chicago's Grant Park along the lakefront. Other headliners this weekend include Metallica and Florence and the Machine.

Here is McCartney's setlist:

"Magical Mystery Tour""Save Us""Got to Get You Into My Life""Let Me Roll It""Foxy Lady""My Valentine""Maybe I'm Amazed""I've Just Seen a Face""Four Five Seconds"/"We Can Work It Out""And I Love Her""Blackbird""Here Today""Queenie Eye""Lady Madonna""Eleanor Rigby""Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite""Something""Ob La Di Ob La Da""Band on the Run""Back in the U.S.S.R.""Let it Be""Live and Let Die""Hey Jude""Hi Hi Hi""Can't Buy Me Love""Get Back""Helter Skelter""Carry That Weight"

The project urges people across the globe to create a visual "ripple effect" by sharing positive messages and stories of kindness and gratitude using videos, photos and artwork and circulating them on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

To help promote the campaign, as well as celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Grateful Dead, a video featuring clips of a variety of musicians performing "Ripple" in different locations around the world was created and can be viewed now at the Playing for Change YouTube channel. In addition to featuring Crosby, Buffett and Kreutzmann, the video includes Los Lobos' David Hidalgo and Garcia's daughter Keelin, who is a co-founder of The Jerry Garcia Foundation.

Select submissions to the #RippleEffect campaign will be included in a video compilation that will be released on September 19, this year's Playing for Change Day. The special day, which was launched by the Playing for Change Foundation, features musicians performing at various events held around the world to support the organization's goal of bringing music education to underserved children.

Courtesy of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and MuseumSmokey Robinson has been chosen as the honoree for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's 20th annual Music Masters series. The Motown legend will be celebrated during a six-day extravaganza running from November 2 to November 7 and culminating with a star-studded tribute concert held at PlayhouseSquare's State Theater in Cleveland.

The tribute show's lineup and more details about the event will be revealed in the coming weeks. Robinson is confirmed to attend the concert but currently is not scheduled to sing. Tickets will go on sale on September 18 at 11 a.m. local time at PlayhouseSquare.org. Limited premium seats and VIP packages can be purchased by contacting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's development office at 216-515-1201216-515-1201.

Besides the concert, the Music Masters series event will feature interviews, movies, panel discussions and presentations about Robinson, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. In addition, a keynote lecture will be held at Cleveland's Case Western Reserve University, which co-hosts the series. Also, a November 7 conference examining Smokey's influence and impact on pop music will take place at the Rock Hall.

"Smokey Robinson's accomplishments as a songwriter, performer, and producer are unparalleled. It is particularly fitting that we honor him this year, the 20th year of Music Masters," says Rock Hall executive Dr. Lauren Onkey. "The longstanding popularity and impact of his work shows us the power of popular music in our lives, which is what Music Masters is all about."

More details about Robinson's Annual Music Masters series festivities will be available soon at RockHall.com.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagicFresh from The Grateful Dead's farewell concerts in Chicago of July 4th weekend, two of the band's core members -- singer/guitarist Bob Weir and drummer Mickey Hart -- have just been added to the lineup of the 2015 Lockn' Music Festival. With founding Dead bassist Phil Lesh and drummer Bill Kreutzmann already scheduled to perform at the festival, that means all four main surviving members of the group will take part in the four-day event, scheduled for September 10-13 in Arrington, Virginia.

Weir will serve as the "Featured Guest of the Day" on September 12, and will join various artists for onstage collaborations during that day. Hart will give a main-stage performance with the Colorado electronic act EOTO on September 10, and will curate what is described as a "deep rhythm experience" at the Lockn' fest's forest stage on the next two nights. The latter two performances will be multisensory late-night presentations featuring sounds, lights and vibrations.

Meanwhile, Lesh and Kreutzmann are both scheduled perform on two separate days. Lesh will play sets on September 11 and 12 with two separate the versions of his Phil Lesh & Friends collective: the first featuring ex-Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson and members of the singer's current band; and the second including Carlos Santana and Warren Haynes. Kreutzmann will play with his current side group Billy & the Kids on September 10, and will participate in a 50th anniversary tribute to the Jefferson Airplane led by founding Airplane members Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady on September 11.

"After the magic of the 'Fare Thee Well' shows, we knew we had to figure out how to have Bobby and Mickey at Lockn'," says festival co-founder Peter Shapiro. "All four of the guys are coming to do their own thing, but just to have them all there with us in Arrington is sure to mean a lot to our extended Grateful Dead family."

Among the many other notable artists scheduled to perform at the 2015 Lockn' Music Festival are Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters, The Doobie Brothers, Hot Tuna, Leon Russell, Dave Mason, Gov't Mule, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Little Feat, Jimmy Cliff and Widespread Panic.

PRNewsFoto/Columbia RecordsFull details have been announced about legendary pop/soul singer Darlene Love's upcoming studio, Introducing Darlene Love, which will be released on September 18. The 14-track collection was produced and arranged by E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt, and features a mix of new songs and classic tunes penned by an impressive cast of artists, including Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Joan Jett, Desmond Child, Jimmy Webb, Linda Perry, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, and Van Zandt himself.

The album's first single is "Forbidden Nights," which is one of two songs written by Costello that appear on Introducing Darlene Love. The record also features two tracks penned by Springsteen and three written by Van Zandt. In addition, Love recorded a version of the 1966 Ike & Tina Turner hit "River Deep, Mountain High," a tune co-written and originally produced by Phil Spector.

Introducing Darlene Love, which is Love's first studio effort in more than 15 years, is available for pre-order now via iTunes, Google Play and Amazon. Those who pre-order the album will receive an immediate free download of "Forbidden Nights."

The Asbury Park Press reports that Love filmed a video for "Forbidden Nights" this past week on the boardwalk in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Jett and Paul Shaffer also took part in the shoot. Darlene will celebrate the release of her album with a special concert featuring Van Zandt that will take place on September 12 at Asbury Park's historic Paramount Theatre.

Love was one of the main voices of Spector's Wall of Sound hits, including her solo holiday classic "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)" and The Crystals' "He's a Rebel" and "He's Sure the Boy I Love." She also was a member of the vocal group The Blossoms, and she was among most in-demand studio backing singers during the 1960s and early '70s. In 2011, Darlene was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and her career was showcased in the Oscar-winning 2013 documentary, Twenty Feet from Stardom.

Here is the complete track list of Introducing Darlene Love, including the artists who wrote each song:

PRNewsFoto/Columbia RecordsAn official video for David Gilmour's latest solo single, "Rattle That Lock," the title track to his upcoming studio album, has premiered on the longtime Pink Floyd singer/guitarist's official website and YouTube channel. The animated clip was created by Alasdair Brotherston and Jock Mooney of the London-based Trunk Animation studio and features scenes inspired by John Milton's Paradise Lost.

The ominous, graphically striking video depicts Satan's fall from the Kingdom of Heaven and his journey through the realms of Pandemonium, Purgatory and Chaos before he inevitably brings corruption to the Earth. The theme of the clip reflects the lyrics of "Rattle That Lock," which were written by Gilmour's wife, Polly Samson, and were inspired by Book II of Paradise Lost.

A team of 12 animators and artists was assembled to work on the hand-drawn video, which took more than three months to complete.

The Rattle That Lock album will be released on September 18. Gilmour has announced a series of 2016 North American tour dates in support of the record that runs from a March 24 show in Los Angeles through an April 12 concert in New York City.

Credit: MJ KimLollapalooza 2015 gets under way today at Chicago's Grant Park, and arguably the world's biggest rock star, Paul McCartney, will be on hand to headline day one of the three-day festival. The ex-Beatle's performance will begin at 7:45 p.m. CT.

As previously reported, the Red Bull TV website is hosting a live stream of select artists' sets during each day of the fest. Highlights of McCartney's performance will be viewable on the site, but instead of being streamed live, they will be shown on Sunday, August 2, at 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. CT.

Other artists whose Lollapalooza performances will be streamed at Red Bull TV across the website's three channels include Saturday's headliner, Metallica, as well as Alabama Shakes, Gary Clark Jr. and dozens of other acts.

RCA/Legacy RecordingsAn expanded version of the final studio album Elvis Presley released while he was alive, 1975's Today, will arrive in stores on Friday, August 7, in commemoration of the recording's 40th anniversary. Today: Legacy Edition features the original album's 10 tracks, undubbed session mixes of those same songs and a bonus disc containing live performances the King of Rock 'n' Roll recorded while on tour in May and June of 1975.

Today was recorded in March of 1975 at RCA's Studio C in Hollywood, where Elvis also laid down his classic 1972 hit "Burning Love." The album features the top 40 single "T-R-O-U-B-L-E," and renditions of Don McLean's "And I Love Her So," Billy Swan's "I Can Help," The Pointer Sisters' "Fairytale" and the 1966 Tom Jones hit "Green, Green Grass of Home." The bonus tracks feature versions of the album cuts stripped of the slick overdubs and mixes added after the initial sessions.

The live bonus disc features a performance of "T-R-O-U-B-L-E," as well as such classic Presley hits as "Love Me Tender," "All Shook Up," "Don't Be Cruel," "Hound Dog," "The Wonder of You," "Burning Love," "Mystery Train" and "Can't Help Falling in Love."

Here is the full track list of the 40th Anniversary Legacy Edition of Presley's Today album:

Disc One:

The Original Album"T-R-O-U-B-L-E""And I Love You So""Susan When She Tried""Woman Without Love""Shake a Hand""Pieces of My Life""Fairytale""I Can Help""Bringin' It Back""Green, Green Grass of Home"

Original Undubbed Session Mixes"Fairytale""Green, Green Grass of Home""I Can Help""And I Love You So""Susan When She Tried""T-R-O-U-B-L-E""Woman Without Love""Shake a Hand""Bringing It Back""Pieces of My Life"

Atlantic Records/Swan SongToday marks the culmination of the Led Zeppelin reissue campaign, as remastered and expanded versions of the band's final three studio albums -- 1976's Presence, 1979's In Through the Out Door and 1982's Coda -- get their release. Guitarist Jimmy Page oversaw the project, and says it was done out of respect for the band's fans and their desire to have as much material as possible from the British rock legends.

"There's such in affection for Led Zeppelin music within the audience, it could only be the right thing to do to put out a real authoritative package," Page tells ABC Radio. "And here we are at the end of it."

As with the previously six Led Zeppelin reissues, the deluxe editions of Presence, In Through the Out Door and Coda all come with "companion audio" discs featuring previously unreleased recordings. Page says that because these extra tracks are now available, there's "double the amount of [Led Zeppelin] studio information and studio material that there was in the first place."

Page says another important aspect of the campaign is that the recordings were remastered for all available formats, including high-quality vinyl and high-res digital audio.

"The last time that Led Zeppelin music was remastered it was for the advent of CDs over 20 years ago," he explains. "I wanted to really approach every way that you could listen to it outside of MP3 [and] let it be available for people who want to hear it…with all the distance in it and the depth and the 3D picture of the mixing, etc, etc."

Speaking about some of the highlights of the individual albums being reissued today, Page points out that the deluxe Presence includes an interesting unreleased instrumental called "Pod" that centers on a piano part played by John Paul Jones.

"It's really quite beautiful, but you can see why it didn't sort of make its way onto the album," he says, noting that it didn't fit in since most of the music on Presence was "guitar driven."

Interestingly, Page recalls that the band's follow-up to Presence, In Through the Out Door, ended up being a keyboard-driven album because Jones had brought several songs that he'd written on the keys.

Led Zeppelin's swan song, Coda, was a collection of unreleased tracks that spanned the band's career and originally was released after the group had broken up in the wake of drummer John Bonham's death. The new deluxe editions of Coda include two full discs of unreleased companion audio. A couple of these tracks come from sessions that Page and Robert Plant did in 1972 in India with a group of local musicians dubbed the Bombay Symphony Orchestra. One of the songs was a version of "Friends," a tune that first appeared on 1970's Led Zeppelin III.

"When I wrote ['Friends'] I was thinking of Indian music at the time, and the structure in it was very similar, to me, to Indian music," Page tells ABC Radio. "And I wanted to try that out with core musicians and see just how possible it would be to pull it off. Well, I managed to do it."

To check out more details about the final installment of Led Zeppelin's reissue campaign, visit the band's official website.

Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot Is Madonna’s son, David Banda, following in his mother’s musical footsteps? The pop icon shared a video on Instagram of the nine-year-old impressively strumming an acoustic guitar and singing her Rebel Heart track "Devil Pray."

"Teach Me How to Pray," Madonna captions the clip. "Thats what children do!"

It isn't the first time Madonna has publicly shared her son's talents. Last year, she posted an Instagram video of the boy showing off some killer dance moves. Like mother, like son.

Madonna is set to kick off her Rebel Heart tour on September 9 in Montreal. Maybe she'll bring David along as a backup band member.

ABC/Randy HolmesElton John reached an important milestone this week, and it had nothing to do with music. The singer celebrated 25 years of sobriety.

He commemorated the achievement on Instagram Wednesday, writing, "25 years of sobriety today. One day at a time.” He posted a picture of a cake with the sparkly number 25 on top.

Elton’s husband, David Furnish, also posted a message about the milestone. He Instagrammed a photo of a sobriety coin with 25 years imprinted on it and wrote, "Happy 25th Birthday Elton. You inspire me with your light and your love every day."

Elton has been open about his drug and alcohol addictions, addressing the topic in his 2012 memoir Love Is the Cure: On Life, Loss and the End of AIDS. He wrote that he was “consumed by cocaine, booze and who knows what else.”

He said the turning point came when he met Ryan White, a teen who contracted AIDS through a blood transfusion and died in 1990. It forced him to reevaluate his life and end his substance abuse.

The albums, which originally were released in 1982 and 1983, respectively, will be available in multiple formats, including a two-CD Special Edition, a multiple-disc Deluxe Edition featuring bonus audio and video content, a two-LP vinyl set packaged with a download card, and digital versions of both the Standard and Deluxe Editions.

Tug of War features McCartney's chart-topping duet with Stevie Wonder, "Ebony and Ivory," as well as the top 10 hit "Take It Away" and Paul's touching homage to the late John Lennon, "Here Today." The Deluxe Edition of the reissue is a three-CD/DVD set containing the original 1982 mix of the album; a 2015 remix of the record; an eight-song CD of bonus tracks, including B-sides and previously unreleased demos; and a DVD with the original promo videos for the album's singles, and a new 18-minute documentary boasting unseen archival footage. The deluxe package also offers a 112-page essay book and a 64-page scrapbook featuring photos and memorabilia. Meanwhile, a limited-edition Super Deluxe version of Tug of War packaged in an acrylic slipcase and including hand-numbered prints of photos taken by the late Linda McCartney also will be sold.

Pipes of Peace features McCartney's #1 collaboration with Michael Jackson, "Say Say Say," and the top 30 hit "So Bad." The Deluxe Edition of the reissue is a two-CD/one-DVD collection featuring the remastered version of the 1983 album; a nine-song bonus CD including a 2015 remix of "Say Say Say," as well as B-sides, outtakes and unreleased demos; and a DVD containing the promo videos for the album's singles and unseen clips from Sir Paul's archives. The deluxe Pipes of Peace also will be packaged with an essay book and scrapbook.

Here is the track list of the deluxe edition of Tug of War:

Disc 1: 2015 Remix"Tug of War""Take It Away" "Somebody Who Cares""What's That You're Doing?""Here Today""Ballroom Dancing""The Pound Is Sinking""Wanderlust""Get It""Be What You See (Link)""Dress Me Up as a Robber""Ebony and Ivory"

Disc 2: Original 1982 MixTrack list same as Disc 1

Disc 3: Bonus Audio"Stop, You Don't Know Where She Came From" (Demo)*"Wanderlust" (Demo)*"Ballroom Dancing" (Demo)*"Take It Away" (Demo)*"The Pound Is Sinking" (Demo) (2015 Remaster)"Something that Didn't Happen" (Demo)*"Ebony and Ivory" (Demo)*"Dress Me Up as a Robber/Robber Riff" (Demo)*"Ebony and Ivory" (Solo Version) (B-side of "Ebony and Ivory" 12" single)"Rainclouds" (B-side of "Ebony and Ivory" 7" single)"I'll Give You a Ring" (B-side of "Take It Away" single)

The documentary will look at the preparation that went into bringing the tour to fruition, including the creation of the uniquely designed multimedia stage, which features a movable, floor-to-ceiling LED screen and a catwalk that stretches across an arena. The film also delves into the challenges U2 faced in advance of the trek, including the serious bicycle accident that left Bono with multiple broken bones.

The movie, which premieres on November 7, features new interviews with all four U2 members, as well as with some of the key people who support the band and work behind the scenes on the tour. The documentary is being directed by Davis Guggenheim, whose resume includes the Oscar-winning An Inconvenient Truth, as well as Waiting for Superman, It Might Get Loud and the 2011 U2 doc From the Sky Down.

The November 14 concert special will showcase U2's performance at the Bercy Arena. Fans can expect to see the band play tunes from throughout its entire career, stretching from its 1980 debut Boy through its most recent album, Songs of Innocence. The aforementioned stage design allows the group's members to move all around the venues they've been playing, while specially created video presentations are viewable on the massive LED screen. The special will be directed by longtime U2 collaborator Hamish Hamilton, who has worked several of the band's concert videos, including Elevation: Live from Boston, U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle and Vertigo in 2005: Live from Chicago.

"U2 continues to take risks, which has made them one of the most consistently exciting forces in rock 'n' roll," says HBO executive Michael Lombardo. "The one-two combination of this documentary special, followed by the concert, will provide viewers with the ultimate look at this remarkable band behind the scenes and on the stage."

Credit: Stephanie PistelThere have been more than 20 James Bond films since the 1960s, each with its own theme song, but only one of those tunes has ever topped the Billboard Hot 100: Duran Duran's "A View to a Kill," from the 1985 movie of the same name. That, of course, makes Duran Duran very qualified to speculate on the rumors about who's going to sing the theme for the newest Bond flick, Spectre, due out this November.

So far, media speculation has focused on Sam Smith and Ellie Goulding, with Adele, who sang the theme to the last film, 2012's Skyfall, thrown into the mix for good measure. But now there are rumors that alt-rock band Radiohead may have gotten the gig. Duran Duran keyboard player Nick Rhodes and bassist John Taylor like that idea, though they say the idea of a female singer also appeals to them.

"I like a good diva for a Bond song," Rhodes tells ABC Radio. "Shirley Bassey to me is still the winner." Bassey sang the themes for Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever and Moonraker.

"Radiohead is not a bad idea," adds Taylor. "I mean, [they've got a] great sense of drama. I mean...I'd like to see that."

Nick agrees, saying, "Yeah, I'd be happy with that. I think it'd be a more interesting choice than some of them over the last decade or so, for sure."

John, meanwhile, points out, "I thought the Adele song was good. I think they got that right."

While many believe that it's important for a James Bond theme song performer to be British, Rhodes doesn't necessarily agree.

"No, I don't think that's essential. Of course, it's a very British brand, but I don't think it's essential the act was British," he tells ABC Radio. "Madonna did one; she wasn't British. Not my favorite of the songs, but you know, she did one."

PRNewsFoto/Badlands EntertainmentNight Ranger singer/bassist Jack Blades has got a new gig: The veteran rocker will serve as host of a new game show called Pawn for Gold that's being produced by the Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based Badlands TV Network. The program, which will begin filming this January, will feature live music performances and a set boasting state-of-the-art LED technology.

The show will be shot at Badlands Pawn, Gold & Jewelry, a massive shopping complex and tourist attraction opening this Thanksgiving in Sioux Falls. Visitors to Badlands Pawn will be able to attend the filming of Pawn for Gold episodes for free. People interested in being contestants on the show will be able to apply starting in the fall.

"In addition to my duties recording, touring, rocking America and the rest of the world with Night Ranger, I'm excited and honored to be the host of Pawn for Gold," says Blades. "When my good friend Chuck Brennan asked me to get on board, how could I say no? Everything Chuck touches turns to gold."

Adds Brennan, "Jack is the perfect guest to host this show, as he possesses the same rock star mentality as we do at Badlands."

Among the many attractions and businesses that will be featured at Badlands Pawn are a massive pawn shop, an in-house mint that produces specially branded gold and silver coins and bars, a gun shop and indoor shooting range, a tattoo parlor, a wall displaying 300 playable guitars and a 1,700-seat performance venue that will host weekly concerts by national acts.

Deborah Anderson/IoannisAfter being postponed because of health issues, the debut album by The AndersonPonty Band, the new group formed by ex-Yes singer Jon Anderson and acclaimed jazz-rock violinist Jean Luc Ponty, finally will be released in the early fall. The aptly titled Better Late than Never features live performances by the band that have been enhanced with innovative production, and comes packaged with a DVD containing concert footage of the group playing last September at the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, Colorado.

Better Late than Never features a mix of original songs and reworked versions of Yes tunes and of Ponty compositions. Among rearranged Yes songs appearing on the record are "Roundabout," "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and "Wonderous Stories." The album also includes a new tune called "Infinite Mirage" that features original melodies by Anderson and also incorporates Ponty's classic piece, "Mirage."

Better Late than Never was originally planned for release earlier this year, but was delayed when Anderson underwent a sinus operation. The AndersonPonty Band will support the album with a fall tour currently scheduled to kick off October 27 in the Philadelphia area and run through a November 21 show in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The AndersonPonty Band also features guitarist Jamie Glaser, keyboardist Wally Minko, bassist Baron Browne, and drummer/percussionist Rayford Griffin, all of whom have previously collaborated with Ponty.

A Better Late than Never making-of documentary is also being prepared for release at the same time as the album.

Image Courtesy of Content MediaA new documentary focusing on Janis Joplinwill premiere at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival, which will take place September 2-12 in the Italian city. The film, titled Janis, was directed by Amy Berg, whose previous work includes West of Memphis and the Oscar-nominated Deliver Us from Evil.

Janis, which was made with the support of Joplin's family and estate, takes a raw, uncensored look at the lauded singer's turbulent life, her path to stardom and her tragic death from a heroin overdose at age 27. It's narrated by veteran indie-rock singer/songwriter Chan Marshall, a.k.a. Cat Power, who reads passages from Joplin's personal letters to family, lovers and friends throughout the film.

The documentary also includes interviews with Joplin's family members, friends and fellow music stars; previously unseen footage; and archival clips from such landmark events at the Monterey Pop and Woodstock festivals and the Festival Express Tour. In addition, the film's soundtrack features many of Janis' best-known songs, including "Piece of My Heart," "Cry Baby" and "Summertime."

"After attempting to get this film off the ground for seven years, I am ecstatic that the film is finally ready to be seen," says Berg. "This has been a labor of love and I cannot wait to share Janis' unique, intimate story with the world. Chan Marshall has delivered a beautiful, introspective voice of Janis' by reading her letters."

Janis was co-produced by Alex Gibney, who has directed such acclaimed documentaries as 2007's Taxi to the Dark Side, 2014's Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown and this year's Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief and Sinatra: All or Nothing at All.

Apple Corps Ltd.The Beatles' second feature film, Help!, got its world premiere 50 years ago today at London's Pavilion Theatre. In the audience for the event were Princess Margaret and the Earl of Snowden, who -- according to BeatlesBible.com -- postponed a planned summer vacation to attend the gala.

The follow-up to the Fab Four's big-screen debut, 1964's A Hard Day's Night, Help! features the band members again portraying themselves, as they get involved in a madcap caper focusing on a cursed ring that comes into Ringo Starr's possession. During the flick, The Beatles travel from London to the Swiss Alps to the Bahamas while being pursued by fanatical cult members, a crazy scientist and British police. Among the classic tunes showcased in the movie are "Help!," "I Need You," "The Night Before," "Ticket to Ride," "You're Going to Lose That Girl" and "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away."

Interestingly, the title track, which was penned by John Lennon, was the only tune written specifically for the flick. Help! was directed by Richard Lester, who also was behind the lens for A Hard Day's Night. Some of scenes in the film that are set to Beatles music, such as one in which the band members are skiing in the Austrian Alps while "Ticket to Ride" plays, are considered influences on the modern music video. The movie's absurd humor also can be seen reflected in The Monkees TV series and Monty Python's Flying Circus.

Help!was released on Blu-ray for the first time in June 2013 with a variety of bonus features. In honor of its 50th anniversary, the movie will get a special free screening at the South Pasadena Public Library in South Pasadena, California, on Thursday at 7 p.m. PT.

Credit: Greg RothPeter Frampton has confirmed plans to head out on an acoustic tour that will take place at a variety of U.S. venues this fall. The 12-date trek, dubbed "Peter Frampton Raw, an Acoustic Tour," kicks off October 8 in Greenville, Tennessee, and runs through an October 24 in Van Wert, Ohio.

Throughout the trek, Frampton will be accompanied by his longtime musical collaborator Gordon Kennedy, as well as by his son, singer/guitarist Julian Frampton, who will be a special guest at the shows. The tour will mark the first time Peter will play entire sets unplugged.

"I'm very excited about doing a whole show acoustically," says Frampton in a statement. "I couldn't do it without the help of my writing partner of 15 years, Gordon Kennedy…I see this show being 'me' performing the songs just as I wrote them on acoustic guitar or piano. I have done a lot of shows including 2 or 3 acoustic solo pieces and always enjoy the way it draws the audience and myself closer together."

Adds Julian, "I couldn't be more ecstatic about the opportunity to support a legend while simultaneously spending time with family. Two birds, one stone."

Last month, Peter revealed to Billboard that the acoustic tour would be held in conjunction with an unplugged album he's recording that will feature stripped-down renditions of various songs from his back catalog.

Meanwhile, Frampton currently is out on the road in North America playing joint shows with Cheap Trick, as well as a few headlining performances. His summer itinerary is plotted out through an August 29 concert in Coquitlam, Canada.